The invention relates to an oil-lubricated anti-friction bearing for a horizontal arrangement of the rotational axis having a shaft seal which separates a bearing inner space, which receives a rolling body, from a bearing outer side, and having a clamping arrangement which acts on the shaft seal from the bearing outer side in order to fix the shaft seal axially. The anti-friction bearing can be configured, in particular, as a large anti-friction bearing which can be used, for example, in wind power plants for mounting the rotor.
The anti-friction bearing comprises an inner ring and an outer ring and rolling bodies which are arranged between them. The manner and arrangement of the rolling bodies is not restricted here within the scope of the invention. The anti-friction bearing can preferably be loaded radially and axially, to which end, for example, tapered rollers which are arranged obliquely with respect to the rotational axis can be provided (DE 10 2007 049 087 A1). The anti-friction bearing can also be configured as an axial/radial anti-friction bearing with separate bearing rows for the axial bearing firstly and the radial bearing secondly. A corresponding anti-friction bearing is known from DE 10 2008 009 740 A1.
Anti-friction bearings having the features which are described at the outset are known from DE 20 2005 007 904 U1 and DE 10 2007 049 087 A1. In order to seal the inner space, loaded with oil, of the bearing against oil escaping, axially clamped shaft seals are provided in the form of simple shaft sealing rings. In order to improve the sealing action, according to DE 10 2007 049 087 A1, two shaft sealing rings which are loaded in each case with a clamping ring are provided one behind another on each end side of the anti-friction bearing. Nevertheless, a certain discharge of oil during long-term operation cannot be prevented. A considerable leak which leads to contamination of the surroundings of the oil-lubricated anti-friction bearing can occur, in particular, in the case of high oil filling levels, insufficient ventilation or damage to the shaft sealing ring.
In anti-friction bearings, it is known to fill said anti-friction bearings only once with oil or else to load them or to flush them with fresh oil during operation. A corresponding anti-friction bearing is known from DD 236 146 A1. Independently of the two options for lubrication, however, there is the problem that the surroundings of the anti-friction bearing are contaminated by escaping oil.
Against this background, the invention is based on the object of avoiding contamination by escaping oil in an oil-lubricated anti-friction bearing.